The West Side church of Christ

I don’t know why I like to compare Bible study to eating. Perhaps it is because I really enjoy both of these activities (I probably enjoy the eating a little too much). I think the comparision is useful though, because the Bible is our spiritual food and we need to consider how to have good [...]

The first bait and switch we will look at in this series of articles is the switch made in God’s plan of salvation. Every church offers salvation, but many have removed God’s plan and inserted their own. One example of this is the Sinner’s Prayer.
The Sinner’s Prayer was popularized by Billy Graham in the 1950’s, [...]

Mark (also called John) started off as a disciple of Jesus on fire and very bold. Scholars believe Mark humbly recorded his actions during the arrest of Jesus in Mark 14:50-52. He would have been very young at this point, but while the apostles were fleeing, he was following Jesus—and naked at that! Only when [...]

In Psalm 127:3-5, Solomon tells us the blessings of being a parent. He describes children as arrows in a warrior’s quiver. In times past, arrows have been used to win many battles, put meat on the table, and win competitions. Diligence and focus, however, are required for an arrow to hit its mark. Like arrows, [...]

For centuries, Romans 8:28 has been a favorite Scripture: “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God” (NASU). Many find great comfort in it. Unfortunately, many do not understand this Scripture and doubt God when tragedy strikes their lives. In fact, it is one of the most misunderstood, misused, [...]

In retail sales, a “bait and switch” is a form of fraud. A business will advertise a highly desirable product at an unbelievably low price. When customers come to make their purchase, however, they are told the product is no longer available. They are then offered a more expensive substitute in the hopes they will [...]

Think of a time when you sprained your ankle or tore a muscle. Suddenly, tasks you didn’t think about before now take tremendous effort and pain (e.g., crossing a room, going up a flight of stairs, getting in and out of a car). For some the Christian life seems to be as difficult. They make [...]

Reuter’s Oddly Enough News printed a story last year about a Japanese man who stole 340,000 yen (about $2,300). It qualified as odd news because the man felt sorry for his crime and returned the money two months later—with and additional 10,000 yen for interest! This is certainly odd in the sight of the world, [...]

Last night, I finally got to start the class on Romans (it had been delayed for several weeks by various activities and traveling). I had been looking forward to teaching a class on Paul’s Epistle to the Romans for a while. Evidently, so had the church. A month ago I handed out slips of paper [...]